Sundance spotlight shines on mobiles

Robert Redford's independent film organisation is teaming with a global trade association for mobile operators to launch a project showcasing short films specifically designed for mobile phones.

The six participating filmmakers, who will create three- to five-minute films, have all screened films at the institute's Sundance Film Festival. They include Nathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, creators of Little Miss Sunshine, and Maria Maggenti, creator of Puccini for Beginners. The shorts will debut at the 3GSM World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, in February.

Redford's Sundance Institute joined forces with the GSM Association (GSMA), Redford said on Wednesday at the Robert Redford Museum of Television & Radio in New York: "Sundance was created to become a place for creating new voices in film and to nurture that development. The cell phone represents a new venue for where we go next."

During the 3GSM show, attendees will be able to download the movies from the Sundance Institute's website or download the films from a booth on the floor using Bluetooth. The GSMA said the shorts would also be available for download from some of the Spanish mobile operators.

The actor and filmmaker said his organisation is working with mobile operators around the world to offer the movies as part of their video services after 3GSM concludes. Redford also said the short movies would be available on other portable devices, although he did not specifically say which ones.

While mobile video has been around for more than a year in most markets, few consumers seem interested in watching it. According to a recent JupiterResearch poll, an overwhelming 88 per cent of respondents said they had no desire to watch video on a portable device.

Marguerite Reardon writes for CNET News.com.